This Working Paper describes the core care conditions that young children, their parents / caregivers and their families need to flourish. Core care conditions are the key features of the social and physical environments in which young children and their families live that are important for optimal development and functioning.
The paper is intended for policymakers and practitioners who are designing and delivering services and supports to young children and their families. It seeks to broaden the scope of what such efforts involve, to go beyond the provision of services to include all the environmental features known to shape development and functioning. The paper seeks to identify these developmental circumstances or conditions so we can use them as a template for reconfiguring the early years environment
